To the Editor,
While B.C.’s NDP government could do better, it was hypocritical for BC Liberal MLA Peter Milobar to have recently criticized its “continued failure to address the opioid crisis.” It’s as comparably rich as his party condemning the government for continued housing unaffordability, a crisis essentially created by the conservative BC Liberals under former premiers Gordon Campbell and Christy Clark.
Undoubtedly, neglecting people dealing with debilitating drug addiction should never have been an acceptable or preferable political option. But the callous politics typically involved with addiction funding and services likely reflects conservative electorate opposition, however irrational, towards making proper treatment available to low- and no-income addicts.
To me, it’s as though some people, however precious, can tragically be consciously or subconsciously considered disposable — especially by government bean-counters — because they are debilitatingly addicted to drugs. Then those people may begin perceiving themselves as worthless and consume their addictive substances more haphazardly.
Frank Sterle Jr.,
White Rock, B.C.